Mini Lathe for making extruders, spacers, etc

Im looking to buy a mini metal working lathe to make my own nozels, spacers etc.

Iv never owned a lathe before, but iv used them allot at uni and college so iv got a pretty good idea how to use one.

Can anyone suggest what makes and models to look for, and what to stay away from?

Thanks

Andy

... avoid the cheapish chinese clones, actually found in every tool-store

I've got a pretty old (60+ years) and really small 'watchmaker'-lathe in superb condition, so check ebay or other platforms for older machines ...

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Viktor
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I'm very happy with my Taig for small jobs.

[www.taigtools.com]

You have to be aware of what it can't do though. It lacks a lead screw for the carriage, so you can't do thread cutting without some fairly inventive work arounds, and obviously the physical size places upper limits on what you can work on. Used within it's limits it's a pleasant and accurate machine.

Most of the mini-lathes are made by Sieg, and there isn't much difference between the lower priced ones. There must be thousands of sites that detail how to improve the lathes, so treat it like a kit of parts. Little Machine Shop's machines generally have the best reviews and are usable out of the box.

Sherline products are high quality

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[scara3dprinter.wordpress.com]

Thanks for the advice.

Iv been doing a bit of research myself and I think iv settled on either an old unimat, (not the new plastic one that looks like a toy!), or a Peatol.

Just need to keep a look out on ebay now!

Shureline has some cool systems.

I agree Sherline makes some good stuff.

[sherline.com]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2015 08:22PM by tmorris9.

Quote
etfrench
Most of the mini-lathes are made by Sieg, and there isn't much difference between the lower priced ones. There must be thousands of sites that detail how to improve the lathes, so treat it like a kit of parts. Little Machine Shop's machines generally have the best reviews and are usable out of the box.

I bought one of the cheap Chinese lathes like you can buy at Harbor Freight, and, like etfrench said, found a couple of sites that outline how to tighten tolerances, backlash, etc. and it turned into a very good lathe capable of cutting any threads I needed to build a steam engine, boiler, fittings, and valves. I even made special hex nuts for it. I make parts for my model planes as well plus some parts for my game calls I make. It's just like these printers. Spend some time and make them better. They can also replicate themselves.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/31/2015 11:14PM by tjnamtiw.

I'd pick my Myford over almost anything except a Southbend

I just got a new Unimat Metalline. Its the metal version of the plastic Unimat 1 Classic. It still feels verd fragil.

Can I make something usefull with it? Maybe add some Sherline parts?

First thing I ll do is get the Powerline engine and add the sherline mounting thing which is also sold at the unimat shop.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/12/2016 02:15AM by Nio.

I was looking at Unimats at one point. They have a lot of 'cool' factor but I wasn't convinced it would be robust enough for the sort of things I wanted to do. The prices I found online seem very high, about 700 euros. I'm not sure that represents great value for money compared to more traditional single purpose machines, especially if you're going to start spending more on upgrades. Not wishing to pour cold water on your purchase, but if you have the option to back out of that deal you might want to consider it. Sherline, Taig or the entry level Chinese lathes are all likely to give you better service in the long run.

Check Northern Tool.